LITTLE ROCK — An amended version of a bill to ban most abortions in Arkansas at 12 weeks into a pregnancy has failed to clear a House panel.
The House Public Health Committee voted 10-6 in favor of the new version of the bill, falling one vote short of the majority needed to pass the measure.
Earlier this week, the bill’s sponsors amended the legislation to add exemptions for medical emergencies and for lethal fetal disorders. They also removed criminal penalties for doctors who violate the restriction.
Republican Rep. Ann Clemmer, the bill’s House sponsor, said the measure failed to garner enough support because some proponents of the original version didn’t like the new exemptions. She said she doesn’t plan to change the bill further but will try again next week.